How to Create a Troop Photo

By using photoshop, a backdrop from Battle Camp and saving your Ranger images from BCRANK, it's possible to easily create a troop photo (without needing all your players in game at the same time for a screenshot).

CG Raiders

Please note that other photo or image manipulation software usually have similar functions.  Also, the version of photoshop that I'm using in the screenshots below is relatively ancient! ;)

Step 1: Choose a background image from the game. Two are provided here: Lost Temple and Troop Hall (will hopefully be updated once the Monster Trader disappears!). Click on either of these images to open them up full size to save.

Troop Hall - without players

Middle of Lost Temple - without players

You can create your own background images from the game by taking overlapping screenshots of an area, lining them up with layers, removing the buttons that appear on screen (another reason for needing large overlaps), and then flattening the layers into a single image.

Step 2: Open the website BCrank.us and click on your troop's name near the top of the screen. (A new update allows you to see your in game name and troop name links at the top of the screen for easy access).

When your troop screen appears, click on the link that details how many Rangers are currently in your troop.

A new screen will now appear that lists all of your players and their recent trophy history.

Click on each players name in turn to open up their page on bcrank.  Then right click on their avatar and save their image.

All of the avatar images saved from here will have a transparent background, useful for making troop photos. (No image isolation is needed).

Step 3: Within Photoshop, open your chosen background image.  This will be the main image you'll be working with.

Then open up the avatar images for all of your players.  Shrink each avatar by opening the "Image" menu and selecting "Image size" (or use Alt-Ctrl-I). Change the image height to 68 pixels (for avatars with hats or large hair, you may need to use up to 74 pixels). The image width will automatically adjust accordingly to maintain the correct perspective.

Select Image Size from the Image Menu

Adjust the avatar height to 68-74 pixels

depending on hairstyle and/or costume

Select the entire image (Ctrl-A) and copy it (Ctrl-C).

Open the window containing your background image and paste your first avatar onto the scene (Crtl-V).

First Avatar copied into the scene. 

Note that it appears as Layer 1 in the Layer window on the right of screen.

Your avatar will now appear in the center of the scene.  For ease of finding avatars quickly later, rename the new layer that has appeared with that player's name or nickname.  To do this, look for the Layers window to the right of your screen. If it's not there, open it by clicking the "Windows" menu and then "Layers".  One layer will be the background you've chosen.  Look for the other layer and double click on its name, which will allow you to enter a new name.

As you copy in each avatar, name them for easy reference later

To move your avatar around, you'll need to use free-transform (Ctrl-T).  This will select your avatar with a tight fitting box.  Click and drag from within this box and you'll be able to move your avatar to a new location. If you wish to flip your avatar so that it's facing the other way, right click on the box and select "flip horizontally". When you're happy with its location and orientation, press enter to exit out of free transform mode.  You can repeat this step at any time to adjust the position of this avatar by clicking on its name in the Layer window, and then following these steps again.

Ctrl-T opens up free transform mode.

Click and drag the box around the avatar to move it

Right click the box to flip the avatar horizontally if desired

Repeat this process with the other players you want to add to your image and arrange the avatars as you choose.

Final placement of our avatars. 

Note that the layer containing each avatar is named for that person, 

to make locating the correct layer easier.

I'd suggest that you save a copy of your final troop image in photoshop format, so that if you have troop newcomers or departures, you can easily add or delete a new avatar/layer.  To display your image outside of photoshop, you'll need to save it in another format (like .jpg) and you'll lose the ability to move avatars around anymore as the layers will be flattened together.

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This method can be used to add avatars to any image of your choosing.  For example, we also added ours to our troop emblem (created by Lionel F.) to use as our facebook group's cover image.